Student Assistance Program Information
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Voorhees High School (VHS), being firmly committed to the wellbeing of its students, has established a comprehensive Student Assistance Program (SAP) with a wide range of focus including the effects of substance abuse on teens both through their own use and that of family members. The program described on this site which follows N.J. State guidelines for such programs, is comprised of numerous components, each of which is described herein.
Key elements include assessment, individual counseling, group counseling, referral, drug screening, policy review and development, consultation, community relations, and education of students, staff, and parents.
Other elements of the Student Assistance Program include Substance Awareness, Children of Addicted Parents group, Diversity Group, Peer Leadership, Stress reduction and many others. Jeffrey M. Hunt, LCADC, LPC joined the Voorhees staff as Student Assistance Counselor in September 2005. Click the “Meet our “SAC” link for more information.
Each student enrolled in Voorhees High School with indicators of present or past substance abuse is referred to the SAC for assessment. Assessment may be informal or a more formalized thorough bio-psychosocial assessment. Students who are identified during their tenure at Voorhees as being in need of SAP services are referred to the SACs by teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, other staff or students; assessment is performed at that time and the appropriate referral is made either to in-school services, outside referral, or a combination thereof.
CONFIDENTIALITY
•The legal authority regulating confidentiality for Substance Abuse professionals is located in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, or the “CFR 42” as it is affectionately referred to. With regard to school substance abuse professionals, this authority is referred to in the New Jersey Administrative Code, 6A:16-3.2 wherein it states: “Each district board of education shall assure compliance with the following confidentiality requirements:
1. Confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records, pursuant to 42 CFR part 2; and
2. Confidentiality of information provided by….a secondary school student while participating in a school-based drug and alcohol counseling program which indicates that the student’s parent or other person residing in the student’s household is dependent upon or illegally using substances…”
•Thus, there is little distinction between the confidentiality rules governing treatment professionals and school substance abuse counselors.
•In most cases, only the standard exceptions to this law apply; these are: with written consent; when a crime is being threatened; under a proper court order; in cases of a medical emergency; and child abuse reporting. However parents are informed legally whenever a student is suspected of being under the influence of substances, or when a positive drug screen has been received through the school's Random Drug Screening program.
•However, for the purposes of giving proper care, and on an as needed basis, a counselor may share information with members of a student’s treatment team when it is pertinent. Thus, information sharing by the SAC with a student’s guidance counselor, as well as limited progress reports to the CST, when proper releases have been obtained, is allowed.
EDUCATION
The education component of the SAP is comprised of several modalities.
For the entire student body: information about the core substance abuse topics is delivered through a series of presentations delivered in health classes to fulfill the state’s ten hour per year requirement; a substance awareness newsletter - The Sober Times, classroom presentations, and the SAC's availability for classroom resources.
For those students identified and enrolled in the SAP, additional education will occur in group setting.
Staff education is primarily handled through a series of monthly memos, in-service education, and by individual request.
Parent education is done through mailings or Webpage availability of the Parents’ Pages, a newsletter specific to parents’ issues; other venues are being developed.
Several group therapy and discussion groups meet on a weekly basis. These include:
*** New for 2008-09: Orientation - a support group dealing with sexual orientation and identity issues
In the school setting, individual counseling is offered often on an as needed or weekly basis, or when a student is mandated to five sessions following a substance-related incident. Individual needs are taken into account when determining the type of counseling a student will receive. The scope of therapeutic approach varies widely from psycho-educational, to traditional therapeutic, adjunctive therapies, relaxation techniques, and post-trauma work.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
The Voorhees High School Student Assistance Program maintains regular contact with numerous local agencies and its counterparts at other schools. SACs from Hunterdon South, Central, North, Delaware Valley H.S. and Educational Services Commission schools meet every other month. Regular meetings on the Safe Homes Initiative and other topics occur at Hunterdon Prevention Resources in Flemington. Relationships with existing treatment providers in the area are maintained.
REFERRAL
Students are most often referred to individual counseling, or group counseling within the school's SAP scope of services. However, the SAP maintains a resource file of treatment referral resources to be used in the event that a student requires more assistance than can be delivered in the school setting.
Parents are welcome to call for referrals for adult family members needing substance abuse services on a confidential basis as well.
Or click here to go see a list of agencies.